Chapter 45 Different Finnian
KARA’S POV
Back inside the hotel room, the air feels different because it’s calmer. The soft lights cast warm shadows along the walls, and the distant sound of the ocean slips through the slightly open balcony door. I set the empty can down on the small table near the couch, and Finnian closes the door behind us. The quiet stretches, and I half expect him to say something teasing, something bold, and something very Finnian.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, he walks closer until he’s standing just in front of me, close enough that I can see the tiny gold flecks in his eyes. My heart then begins to beat faster. He lifts his hand slightly, and for a split second, I think he’s going to touch my cheek. But instead, he leans down. His lips brush gently against my forehead, and the kiss is soft and careful. So gentle that it almost steals the breath from my lungs.
When he pulls away, I’m still staring at him.
“Goodnight, Kara,” he says quietly.
“Wait… what?” I blink.
A small smile forms on his lips.
“I’m going to find another room.”
“Another room?” My eyes widen.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I respect you.” He shrugs lightly.
The words land somewhere deep in my chest.
“I don’t want you thinking I’m taking advantage of this situation,” he continues softly.
“But you don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t,” he interrupts gently.
Then he smiles again, softer this time. “I’m perfectly capable of sleeping somewhere cheap.”
“Finnian—”
“Maybe a room without air-conditioning,” he adds with a small laugh.
“Finnian,” I repeat, more seriously now.
But he’s already walking toward the door, and he pauses for a moment with his hand on the knob.
“Goodnight, Kara.”
Then he opens the door and walks out. Just like that and the door closes with a quiet click. I stand there in the middle of the room, completely stunned as the silence suddenly feels louder. My fingers then rise slowly to my forehead, touching the spot where he kissed me. It feels warm, gentle, and respectful. And somehow, more intimate than anything else he could have done. I sink slowly onto the edge of the bed as my chest feels strangely light, like something inside me has shifted in a way I can’t explain, because tonight Finnian could have pushed. He could have flirted and taken advantage of the fact that we’re alone.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he walked away.
And the terrifying part? That simple act of respect makes my heart want him even more.
I fall back against the bed a few minutes later, the mattress dipping softly beneath my weight. The ceiling above me is plain and white, interrupted only by the slow soundof the aircon that hums quietly in the room. The sound blends with the distant rhythm of the waves outside, the ocean breathing somewhere beyond the balcony doors.
I stare upward. And I think.
It’s strange how a quiet room can suddenly feel louder than a crowded one. My mind keeps replaying the same moment over and over again, like a scene stuck on repeat. The way he leaned down, the warmth of his lips on my forehead, and the calm certainty in his voice when he said he respected me.
I press my lips together.
A billionaire who could probably have any woman he wanted without even trying, leaving a comfortable hotel room just so I wouldn’t feel pressured.
Who even does that?
I exhale slowly and lift my arm, covering my eyes with the back of my hand.
This is dangerous not because of what he might do to me, but because of what I might start feeling. For most of my life, I’ve learned to be careful with people. Careful with expectations and careful with hope. I’ve watched too many things fall apart because someone believed too easily in promises that sounded beautiful in the beginning.
Respect.
The word lingers in my thoughts, and it’s funny how something so simple can feel heavier than grand gestures. Flowers can be bought, luxury trips can be arranged in minutes, and jewelry can be delivered by assistants. But respect? Respect is something a person shows when no one is watching and when there’s nothing to gain.
I shift slightly on the bed, staring at the slow circles of the fan. He could have stayed, and I probably wouldn’t have stopped him. That realization sends a strange warmth creeping up my neck. Because the truth is… I wanted him to stay, not because I expected anything reckless or impulsive, but because the quiet between us tonight felt safe.
And that terrifies me more than anything.
My gaze drifts toward the balcony where the curtains move gently with the ocean breeze.
Why him? Why does it have to be someone like Finnian?
A man whose world is so far from mine that sometimes it feels like we’re standing on two different planets. His life is boardrooms, headlines, power, and expectations. Mine has always been quieter, simpler, and easier to disappear in. People like him usually come with complications, attention, and judgment. Stories people create before they even know the truth.
I close my eyes for a moment and yet… when he looks at me, none of that seems to exist.
Just Kara. Not someone he can impress, not someone he can control, just me.
I swallow slowly because maybe that’s why he walked away tonight. Not because he had to, but because he knew it mattered. Because he knew I needed to see that he could.
I think about what he said on the beach.
“You’re the only woman I want now.”
My heart does that annoying little stumble again, and it would be so easy to believe him. Too easy, and that’s exactly why I shouldn’t rush into it. Trust isn’t something you hand over just because someone says the right words under a beautiful night sky; it’s something that grows slowly, quietly, and through moments like tonight. Through choices and through actions.
I turn my head slightly on the pillow and stare at the empty side of the room where he stood earlier, and a small, helpless smile forms on my lips.
“Idiot,” I murmur to the ceiling.
Because he probably really did go find some cheap room somewhere without air-conditioning. The thought makes me laugh quietly under my breath. Only Finnian would leave luxury behind just to prove a point. My fingers brush my forehead again without thinking because the spot still feels warm in my memory. Gentle, careful, and patient.